LB Johnson is Chargers' quiet leader

Jarret Johnson is 6-feet-3 and, with his shaved head and goatee, would fit right in at a biker bar with a bunch of Harley riders, though he’s much happier being on his fishing boat in Florida. Good thing, too, because he speaks at a volume that is not much above a whisper.

Of the first nine years of his NFL career as an outside linebacker, all spent with the Baltimore Ravens, Johnson didn’t need to talk, just show up and play. On a team that made the playoffs six times while he was there, Johnson left the mentoring and rah-rah stuff to the larger-than-life personality of Ray Lewis.

Johnson came to the Chargers as a free agent last season and there was a similar leader in Takeo Spikes.

This year, Spikes didn’t come back and veteran linebacker Dwight Freeney was lost with an injury. With a team that has plenty of youth and inexperience at the position, guess who everybody is looking to now for leadership?

“It’s probably the biggest thing of my career,” Johnson, 32, said. “All of sudden I look up and I’m the oldest guy by a few years. I’m expected to step into the leadership role. It’s been a different situation for me, but one that I’ve welcomed.”

For the past two weeks, Johnson has done his job from the sidelines while dealing with a hamstring injury that he expects to be healed when the Chargers resume play on Nov. 3 at Washington. Street clothes during games are foreign to a guy who played in a team-record 129 consecutive regular-season games in Baltimore. But he still finds a way to contribute.

“Even with him being out, he’s communicating with guys between series, and that’s huge,” said Chargers defensive coordinator John Pagano. “He’s one of those guys to count on to lead this group and get things going to how they need to be. It’s been a big bonus for us.”

Before he was injured, Johnson led San Diego with three sacks through five games, and whether it’s a poor commentary or not on the pass rush as a whole, he still holds the top spot after Week 7.

“It’s not something I’m used to,” Johnson said with a grin. “But I’m going to make my plays when I have opportunities.”

Chargers players say there is not a teammate who works harder or prepares better than Johnson. He is a film-watching fanatic who enters the first game-planning session of the week knowing as much about the tendencies of the upcoming offense as the coaches do. He takes copious notes.

“These guys, that’s what makes them great,” Pagano said. “The more film you watch, the more you’re doing to know. Then you have a sense of not guessing. (Johnson) and Eric (Weddle) take it to the next level. They notice a guy’s stance. They see if he lines up or back. There are so many things in film study that we do that people don’t realize watching at home on TV.”